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Within the Light
Soil for Spoil With the moon falling prey to the clouds, darkness had overtaken Konoha. Inky black shadows consumed the village from every angle, painting a gloomy canvas that since ancient times had commended man to call it a day. Yet, while the rest of the world slept, one such individual was still wide-awake, present in mind, body, and most of all, spirit. For him this was but a routine. The time of day he had exclusively to himself; the time he need naught share with another; the time of day where he could spring ahead of the rest of the competition. A legendary work ethic, many would have called it. But for the young boy, it was simply his version of relaxation. Even so, there was something else fueling his motive on this very night. The final rounds of the Chūnin Exams were right around the corner; having battled his way through countless victories, only one more kept him from the mountaintop. Out in the southernmost training fields of the Hidden Leaf were a series of targets held up against tall trees, many of which were simply not visible to the naked eye due to their means of positioning. Teizen's sight, however, was but of an exception in this circumstance, due to the fact that his Byakugan acted as a scope of some degree, glaring at anything and everything from a limitless perspective. Arming a kunai between each of his fingers, Teizen crossed his arms across his body and flung them forth with a charismatic flicker of his wrist. Nearby targets were hit instantly, while those that were hidden from plain sight remained safe for a second longer. That was, until a truly magnificent sight illuminated the entirety of the forest, even under the guise of the night. A single kunai soared through the air silently, when another came up to its side. A third appeared between them, intercepting their previous trajectory, and sending the two of them off in opposite directions, where they were each met by two other brethren. Another collision took place, before every kunai that had been involved in the sequence hit its mark right in the money. Bullseye. Standing up to his full height once more, Teizen went around his back to reach for another round of ammunition. The night sky was to be her only company on this night. Or so she thought. Inheriting a powerful intrinsic motivation from her father, the 6 year old Shikahime would constantly practice on her own, choosing the nighttime because she didn't have to deal with all of those insufferable individuals. They became claustrophobic after a while, and she wanted time to herself. With the final rounds approaching, she wanted to be as sharp as possible for her final competitor; Teizen Hyūga. He was the final obstacle standing between her and the pedestal she sought, a boy a few years older than her but very much capable of attaining that chūnin designation. It was already expected that she would become a chūnin; all of her previous victories in the team and individual rounds assured that. But Shika wanted to win. Choosing the most secluded fields to train so the chances of crossing paths with anyone were slim to none. That is until she heard the hiss of flying kunai and the sizable thunk as they landed in their targets. The clash of metal on metal as they were redirected purposefully. Stepping into the fading moonlight, it illuminated her distinctive auburn hair; a gift from her mother's side. "So you chose this time to train as well." Shika's note being both a question and a statement to the boy as he prepared to unleash another volley of metal. She shifted her weight to one leg as she awaited the answer of her final opponent, his featureless eyes hidden as his back was to the girl. She considered the various methods that were at her disposal for the impending battle, twirling a kunai experimentally on one finger while resting her left hand on her hip. Her eyes retained their crushed sapphire coloration as she gazed at the rival, thinking about the past while looking towards the near future. At the sound of Shikahime's voice, Teizen flung his head to peer over his shoulder. He looked through her with the aid of his blank gaze, a grin quickly forming on his face. "Isn't it past your bedtime, little girl?" he spat, "babies like you need all the sleep they can get. Can't expect to grow any taller without it." It was fairly clear by now that Teizen had no inclination to act accordingly to a civilized human being. By the look of things, he was the same person he was back from his days at the academy, just as Shikahime would have remembered him: a complete asshole. Come to think of it, why had she even bothered to speak with him in the first place? As he waited for her response, Teizen launched the kunai in his hand with his back to the targets, yet even still did they precisely hit their mark, as if he had eyes on the back of his head. Shikahime remained unimpressed with his showmanship. He was one of the primary reasons that she kept to herself, finding most of her academy peers to be childish, immature brats. "You would know since you're acting like one." Shikahime retorted, remembering why she despised Teizen, causing her to wish he wasn't here right now, ruining the sanctity of her training area. She walked to his right, excited more then ever to finish this fool off in the finals. Tools like him had no business pursuing a higher rank if they couldn't keep a cool head. Oh how she would relish teaching this boy a lesson about morality. She tossed a kunai at the last moment, timing it precisely so that it hit his final kunai, taking it off course and into the woods. "Looks like you missed one." she stated before yawning slightly, considering the idea of sleeping to be insulting, particularly when there was much strategizing to be done. Noting that everything had a weakness, even his clan's coveted dōjutsu. She stretched, keeping her limbs loose and ready for some taijutsu maneuvers. He snickered at the sight of his kunai being thrown off course by her own. "Oh yes, you're real mature." Watching as she stretched, Teizen chuckled to himself. "You're wasting your time with that, I'll tell you that much right now. Hand-to-hand combat is a Hyūga's forte, our specialty: a taijutsu battle will only play to my favor." He looked about at the shadows that had grown as a result of the nighttime. "I expected you to take advantage of the dark at a time like this. Your shadows are your best bet against me, and even then, I've already thought of to them, to tell you the truth." He shrugged, fluttery his eyes closed egotistically. "But if you'd rather fight me with your fists, then we might as well sort this out right here and now; it'll save you the embarrassment of getting your ass beat in front of the rest of the village." Teizen took his . Whether he was serious about taking advantage of the fact that no one else was around or simply trying to intimidate her was anyone's guess. Shikahime snickered. "Who said I was fighting you now? Don't we have a scheduled battle in about a day or so? You should save your energy for then, you'll need it as far I'm concerned. Besides, I've cooked up some of my own recipes for dealing with your clan's speciality. But I don't want to spoil the surprise just yet. So wait just a little bit longer if you can. Though I doubt your impatience will allow for such a thing." Shika responded, ignoring Teizen's ego stroking. There was clearly no love lost between them. She turned to walk away. "Have fun in the dark," Hime said, a shadow crossing her face, turning the childish face into something temporarily malevolent, "it shouldn't stare at you too hard." What little moonlight permeated the cloud cover appeared to be absorbed by the girl as she walked away, darkness trailing in her wake as she sought another establishment to train for the royale ahead. A recipe to deal with his clan's specialty? She was most certainly going to attempt to nullify his taijutsu in some fashion, for that was all he truly had at his disposal. Whatever she had planned, he was confident --no, more than just confident that he would be able to deal with it. "That's right!" Teizen called out as she walked away, "walk away like the coward you are! I've already surpassed your mother! What are you compared to her?!" The fact that Shikahime's mother was his very own Sensei was all too precious to Teizen. It was something he was going to exploit now, later, and most of all, during their battle. Oh how he despised that little girl. Standing to his full height, the boy fought back every cell in his body that sought her blood in this very moment. He thought back to their days at the academy, where the two of them competed against one another but always, continuously locked in their rivalry, one always trying to get ahead of the other. But neither had been able to get much farther than the other, and it bothered him greatly. He was a genius, was he not? Then why, why was this girl who had two whole years worth of less experience than him... why was on his level already? Why was she tormenting him like this? His hands curled into fists. He could remember those days alright; he could remember them crystal clear. Vying Sluice "Alright, Teizen Hyuga, you're next," said the instructor of the academy, "please demonstrate your prowess with the by transforming into a replica of myself." Rising from his seat, Teizen walked down the aisle to stand before the rest of the class. Forming the necessary hand seals, his figure was enveloped by a smug cloud, dissipating to slowly unveil a form that very much resembled the instructor's own, with a few minor alterations. Looking over the transformed Teizen, the instructor scribbled a score onto his clipboard. "The color of the headband is wrong," he said, cupping the sash of the forehead protector with his hand, "mine is black, not blue. Were this a real mission, even such a minor miscalculation would have exposed you to the enemy." Teizen's brow narrowed with anger. How could he have messed up on such an easy technique? Especially with his Byakugan to help him with analyzing the instructor's figure, how could he have been so careless? "Next," the instructor continued, as Teizen returned to his seat, "Shikahime Nara, please come down here and demonstrate your prowess with the Transformation Technique by transforming into a replica of myself." The instructor's voice was noticeably dull, as if he had been uttering the same words all day. The five year old stood. Most of her class contained 10-11 year children, many of whom found it insulting that a "baby" was in their mist. Until they saw how she fought and her general versatility. Then disdain would become intimidation as they watched her move on. Shika had already been reclassified several times as teachers struggled to keep up with her exponential growth. Reaching the center of the classroom, Hime's face showcased boredom as she analyzed the teacher one more time. Satisfied, she made the necessary before being submerged in a cloud. The cloud dissipated to reveal an exact replica of the instructor, one that remained impassive, even mimicking the man's posture and clipboard. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice a match for his own. Writing down the score, the man appeared duly impressed. Then again, he had the words of prior instructors to take into consideration as they spoke highly of the woman's ninjutsu prowess. "Excellently done Shikahime." the teacher said, casting a critical eye over her imitation and finding nothing remiss. "You may take your seat. That's everyone I believe. Though I suggest you all learn from her example. Such attention to detail could prove the difference between life and death one day. You are all dismissed." As they filed out, several of the children began muttering, envious of the girl's growing skill, one that put her a step ahead of them. Shika for her part remained disinterested in the proceedings, already done for the day. Her gaze raked over her classmates, finding only the Hyūga prodigy worthy of her attention. She flashed a grin in his direction before leaving. Fading back into reality, Teizen eased his mind, turning his back to the retreating Shikahime to continue his training. He vowed to win. Within the Light Chants and cheers rang rampant from the swarm of a crowd that enlightened Konohagakure's battle dome, making for an enviornment unlike any other aside from this time of year. Various leaders, be they Kage, clan heads, or even Daimyō, were present within the rafters of the arena, albeit with their own specified seating arrangement. Kakashi Hatake, as the current Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, was of course present, seated beside Sayuri Hatake in a separate compartment that enabled him to view the fight over the comfort of a railing. The sun beaming over head, Teizen and Shikahime stood opposite one another, collecting their final thoughts as the time of battle drew near. The proctor, high in spirits for having had the opportunity to see the two finalists of the Chūnin Exams blossom into fine shinobi since their days spent within the academy, looked between the each of them, raising his hand. "Alright, you may now begin!" he shouted, signaling the start of the match. The crowd erupted further at the sight of the proctor's diving hand. Teizen, expecting Shikahime to engage him with an assault of weaponry --or more predictably, look to imprison him with the extension of her shadow-- activated his Byakugan, taking up of his forefathers, whilst also ensuring to keep on his toes so as to be able to lift himself off of the ground more easily, if need be. Shikahime noted his Gentle Fist stance; it appeared he was going with the tried and true method of his clan. Pulling out a single kunai, she smiled ever so slightly, before tossing it expertly at Teizen. Waiting for him to dodge as the single kunai become a unrelenting barrage. She sat patiently, making note of the falling rain's trajectory as two kunai curved to the right and the left, appearing to miss Teizen. Though such tactics were done on purpose. As soon as they reached their destinations to the right and the left of Teizen, the kunai's appearance shifted, replaced by two Shikahimes. One that immediately went for the kill by placing a kick squarely in the sole blindspot of the Hyūga while the other readied her Nara stance, preparing to the link the two shadows together in an infinite embrace. Like mother, like daughter. Teizen had been once told that family members --especially those of the same gender-- often times thought very much alike. In an earlier spar with Shikahime's mother --who just so happened to be his Jōnin leader-- Senjō too had begun their battle with the exact same approach. That alone was enough to make Shikahime's plan overly predictable. Teizen rightfully anticipated that the kunai would replicate themselves many times over; but not entirely because Senjo had once done the same, but rather because he could see it with his own two eyes. An ordinary kunai would not have possessed a chakra signature of its own. Yet, the ones Shikahime had thrown his way did; which obviously meant that she had enchanted the knives in order to achieve a separate feat. This what ultimately made the kunai that had intentionally "missed" him stand out so very much against the others. There was no reason to evade an attack of this caliber. Coming from a child herself, this was but child's play. Mere ninja tools were not strong enough on their own to penetrate the ultimate defense he had at his fingertips. Chakra oozed from the pores of Teizen's flesh, dispelling the many kunai that had sought his blood. More and more chakra appeared, and within the next moment, it was carefully molded by him to take the form of a rotating sphere. "Rotation!" Teizen announced, as the many kunai were forced harmlessly to the ground. Because of the Byakugan's ability to see and see through chakra, residing within the sphere did not make him unaware of Shikahime's next step. Oh no, he could very clearly see that the two knives from before that had missed him had transformed into clones of the little girl herself. However, because the radius the sphere covered was much larger than what Teizen would have been able to cover with his body alone, it managed to reach not only the clone that was running very suspiciously toward what would have ordinarily been his blind spot, but also the other clone that had elected to stay a bit further behind in order to prepare a jutsu. Everything was countered in one swift motion quite heavenly, as the rotation would have deemed it. Bringing his spin to an end, Teizen eyed the real Shikahime with a grin. "Sending out a clone to do your dirty work," he spat, "just like the scared little girl you are. "It would seem your mother has dissected my ability quite well, well enough to have alerted you of the Byakugan's blind spot. But what you failed to realize on your own was that I can easily compensate for it simply by spinning." He took up his stance once more. "So then, is that it? Was that the extent of your so-called 'recipe' for dealing with my taijutsu? "Was that your reason behind wagering your entire skill-set from the very start? Were you so confident that you would be able to win this match so easily, with a single blow? Making use of your tools, your clones, your shadows, only for it to amount to nothing..." Teizen chuckled to himself, "well, go on, don't let anything I've said stop you. I still haven't gotten the chance to show you my counter to your shadows. So why don't you call upon them now, hmm?" His hand reached behind him, grasping a hold over a kunai. Up above in the world so high, was the Hygua's ; her face distraught, as if lost in thought; her anger whittled, her status crippled. I've seen this movie before, she thought silently to herself, a single bead of sweat trickling down from her forehead, it's just . Yet another genius has been born within our lower branch, it would seem. Hanabi closed her eyes. To take what is and use it as their own. The nerve of the lower branch sees no limit. Shikahime yawned. "If you couldn't counter that I would have been disappointed. There's nothing more saddening than if a little boy like yourself had been overwhelmed by some kunai. You say I'm scared, yet you remain on the defensive, using your words instead of coming to attack me. Are you the one that is afraid perhaps? Nervous that a six year old baby will embarrass you in front of a crowd of thousands?" she sneered. "Though I must say, it is quite unbecoming for a person like yourself to use a Main Branch technique. I have a feeling some people would be displeased that you stole a technique not meant for the likes of you. Are you trying to thwart fate but accumulating forbidden knowledge? If so, we may have something in common." With this Shikahime's sneer faded to something resembling tranquility. "But come, we haven't all day. I've showed you my hand, now show me yours little Hyūga." she stated impassively, beckoning him forward while her hands remained empty. She began running ideas of counters for that minor irritation of a technique Teizen used earlier. "Nervous?" Teizen chuckled to himself, "not at all. I was more concerned about what would happen to you if I were to go on the attack so soon. "What is permitted and forbidden to me... only I shall be the judge of that, and no one else. Fate to me is but a token of mishap; only simpletons like you are your family would waste their breath speaking anything of it." Teizen's Byakugan flexed in response to Shikahime's request that he approach her. "Careful what you ask for!" Taking the kunai he had previously held into his mouth, Teizen threw his arms behind his back. Instantly, they were illuminated by a surge of chakra, and as the masses were shaped to resemble the heads of a dragon, the crowd gasped at the very same time. "That jutsu," Hanabi exclaimed, no longer able to conceal her thoughts within her mind, "no, he couldn't have! That's the same one as ..!" On the other side of the dome, seated high above on a balcony to themselves, the royal family of the leaf had their own reactions to the matter. "Well, well, well," Sayuri began, a grin playing along her lips, "what do we have here?" Kakashi, who rarely responded to much of anything, was equally surprised, as evident by the widening of his normally somber eyes. "It's just as I thought. What we are seeing today is an exhibition of the very strongest the Hyuga have to offer." Back on the battlefield, Teizen's muffled voice spoke out through the knife in his mouth, "this is the technique I mastered in preparation for our battle. With this, your shadows are null before my fists." And then came that speed. The speed of a taijutsu master, unparalleled by those that did not indulge solely within its intricacies . The very kind that Teizen had achieved by sacrificing the growth of his ninjutsu and genjutsu orientated abilities, respectively. The kind that struck before hand signs could have been prepared, the kind that rendered Teizen's movements invisible to all but each of the three great dojutsu. Teizen flickered out of comprehension within the very next moment, reappearing before Shikahime's figure within the very next moment. He knew that she had invited him into close quarters, thinking that had he came close enough to her, her shadow would merge with his own automatically. But that was why he had positioned himself in front of her, so that their own bodies divided their shadows, keeping them from seeing one another. Yet, as Teizen unleashed in her direction, he expected --no, dared her to make use of her shadows. He was eager to crush her confidence by exposing the technique before the large sums of people that had gathered around to watch the fight. With his eyes, Teizen watched for the surges of chakra within Shikahime's body, though because of his speed, he was most confident that she would not have been able to substitute her real body with anything else within the moment. Shikahime raised an eyebrow when she what enveloped Teizen's hands. "So it seems." she responded to his fiery statement about how he would decided what was off limits to him. That he had mastered and utilized several main branch attributes was testament to his capabilities. She would give him that much. But that he expected her to be dissuaded by his precise placement was a disappointment. For a regular Nara, such a movement on Teizen's part would be an excellent call. But she wasn't normal. He was fast. Really fast, but she expected this. A taijutsu virtuoso would possess an abundance of speed and Teizen didn't disappoint. Activating her own speciality, Shika prepared to weather at least a portion of Teizen's technique in order to exemplify the weakness of his concoction. Only to feel it permeate part of her defense as her form became partially solid once more. His hand ending up within the girl's right side of her chest. Shika wasn't one prone to panicking however. "I commend you Teizen, it appears you made quite the antidote for my shadows." Shikahime responded aloud, grudgingly impressed with Tei's ingenuity. Then again, it was people like him that pushed her when others failed. Only the best rivals could allow you to perform at your optimum. Having captured a sufficient amount of him, she let her yin chakra flood him, attempting to submerge him in a potent genjutsu. One potentially reinforced by the origins of her technique. Seeing his hand within Shikahime's chest as his technique rendered her transformation null, Teizen's eyes widened. No! Teizen hadn't meant for this battle to escalate to such an extent. She may have been just as arrogant as him, if not more so, but he admired her charm. She may have been his greatest nemesis, but he savored their times together. She may have been just some other little baby girl, but to him, she was his rival. Such a gaping wound, while on the side opposite of her heart, was still without a doubt a fatal blow. He was a mere moment away from taking her life; yes, all it would have taken now was a follow up to his initial attack, or even a spark of electricity from the same hand whilst inside her body. But no, in this moment of time, he didn't care about winning. For some odd reason that he simply could not explain... in this moment, he could only think of her. Renounced Deed With his Byakugan, he saw through her body. The chakra signature she was forging --quite predictably, she was channeling a genjutsu. A genjutsu that he knew he'd easily be able to shatter with his ocular prowess alone, not to mention the serene control he had over his chakra that could have just as effortlessly achieved the very same feat. But instead of ensuring victory for himself within the transpiring moment; instead of using his chakra to repel her forthcoming genjutsu; instead of taking advantage of the situation at hand to finish her off, he channeled his chakra... for her. While a mere moment ago, Teizen was absorbing her chakra, stealing it away from her so as to watch her fall before the large crowd, in the very next moment, he began distributing his own chakra to her, saving her life, knowing all too well that if she forced her way into casting a genjutsu like that given her current state, she would have been committing suicide. And so the dragons dissipated from Teizen's hands, just as Shikahimie suspiciously found herself with a surplus of power. Without chakra of his own, Teizen fell prey to her genjutsu in the next moment. And just as his eyes began to close, and he began to lose consciousness, a smug grin, one all too familiar to Shikahime, formed on his lips. If she was half the prodigy she made herself out to be, then she would have realized what he had just done. While the rest of the world would remember Teizen as the Hyuga who lost in the final rounds of the Chunin Exams, Shikahime would be the only one scarred with the truth: that he even with victory so firmly within his grasp, he had forfeited the match over to her without a hint of hesitation. The sound of Teizen's body connecting with the dirt of the ground was met by an uproar of chants by the crowd. It was over. "Teizen Hyuga is unable to battle," the proctor beamed, "the winner of this year's Chunin Exams is none other than Shikahime Nara!" Seeing the girl fall to her knees, grievously wounded, several medical-nin came to her aid immediately, before the thought of the fallen Teizen had even come across their minds. Calling out a stretcher, they took the girl away, keeping the wound she had sustained in check with the aid of their mystical palms. Amidst the cheering, there was a single entity who had discovered the truth. With her Sharingan, Sayuri had calculated the scenario in its entirety, yet she still couldn't bring herself to comprehend why on earth Teizen would have thrown in the towel as he did. Noticing the expression on his wife's face, Kakashi gave her a nudge. "What's the matter?" "No, it's nothing." A genuine smile came to her face. "Absolutely nothing." Yes, this boy had suddenly garnered her interest. He was still a blank canvas, one that could have been dyed any color she decided upon. Though he may have officially lost the match, one thing was clear to her: and that was that she would have a empty seat awaiting him within the ANBU. Shikahime's face was that of confusion as Teizen fell to the ground. It surprised her that the genjutsu was effective. But as she sank to the ground it clicked, particularly as she recognized that all too familiar grin. Full of a legendary smugness that could only be matched by her own. It was a weird feeling, but her heart softened at the sight. Maybe she had chosen him as a rival because of their shared struggle. Lesser born but full of talent that was worthy of recognition. His technique had been impressive, and if she had to guess, most likely would have been fatal had he so much as continued the act. The wound caused her head to swim however. Though a grin similar to Teizen's own adorned her face as thought about her rival, and maybe just maybe a friend. "You idiot. It was in your hands and you gave it away. Some rival you are." she said, the smugness of her grin remaining before the girl passed out. Like the woman in the stands, her interest in how Teizen worked grew. Sure they antagonized each other on a regular basis, but it partly came from them being kindred spirits. "We're going to settle this some day you arrogant prick...." Shikahime's thoughts faded away as the muscles in her face relaxed, turning from a smug grin into a sleepy smile. Though the arrogance was unmistakable as her unconscious mind pondered about that Hyūga boy. Category:Great's Play of Words